Dear Reader:
I invite you to join The Berkshire Eagle in its mission to become the finest community newspaper in America. My colleagues and I made this our goal when we purchased The Eagle in 2016 and returned it to local ownership and control. Over the last six years, we have not wavered from it.
Fredric D. Rutberg, president and CEO of The Berkshire Eagle.
Since 2016, I have learned a lot about the news industry and newspapers in particular. I learned that communities have an emotional attachment to their papers, and your connection to The Eagle is deeper and stronger than any of which I am aware. People go out of their way to tell me what they like and don’t like about The Eagle, how we could be better, and what we “must do” to thrive in today’s news environment. Responses like these do not come from casual observers; rather, they come from folks who are personally committed to the paper.
We are convinced that our future success is tied to the coverage of local news and information. From anecdotes we hear and the data we receive, we know you want more and better local coverage. The good news is that we are committed to expanding and deepening our local coverage. The bad news, for us, is that local news is the most expensive to report. Wire services bring us important stories about Ukraine, climate change and the Red Sox, but only live Eagle reporters can cover the Select Board in Sandisfield, the proposed landfill in Lee or the town manager’s position in Williamstown.
You probably know that the news business is frail. Stories abound about newspapers cutting staff and even closing. I am happy to report that The Eagle is not about to cut or to close; indeed, we face the future with hope and conviction.
The conundrum we face is common to all news organizations: how to grow in a climate of shrinking print advertising and circulation revenues. We reject steep price increases, because we know that a significant portion of our readers are on fixed incomes. After studying the problem from every possible angle, we decided to simply ask our readers to become members of our family and contribute to our future.
Like many news organizations across the country, both for-profit and nonprofit, we are turning to philanthropy to help bridge the gap caused by shrinking revenues and increasing expenses. We have created The Berkshire Eagle Local Journalism Fund in partnership with the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. It is a dedicated charitable fund whose purpose is to support The Eagle’s reporting of local matters relating to health, education, economic development, and arts and culture.
Berkshire Eagle reporter Matt Martinez in the field. The Eagle has launched a drive to support its local journalism. The Berkshire Eagle Local Journalism Fund was created in partnership with the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, which shares The Eagle's belief that in-depth reporting enhances the quality of life and civic engagement in our community.
I am writing to ask you to contribute to The Berkshire Eagle Local Journalism Fund. Your gift will help expand our coverage of these critical beats. Your donations will be made to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation which shares our interest in in-depth reporting that enhances the quality of life and civic engagement in our community.
The Eagle is a for-profit company, but our operating profit is not always large enough to cover the cash needs necessary to sustain and expand our local news coverage. We have considered converting to nonprofit status and have decided not to make this change, in part, to better maintain our flexibility and independence. Please be assured that your donations will not go to me or my colleagues but only for eligible tax-exempt purposes that benefit the community. Indeed, we have received no return on the investment we made six years ago, and we anticipate none. You might say that we already operate as a nonprofit.
Our purchase of The Eagle was inspired by Joe Klein’s assertion that “Democracy requires citizenship, and citizenship requires a Town Square.” From Day One, we have worked to strengthen The Eagle’s role as Berkshire County’s town square. For the first time in more than 80 years, democracy itself is being challenged as a workable concept in America. Now more than ever, a vibrant, involved daily newspaper and website is essential to protecting American values, both short- and long-term. I believe that Berkshire County has such a news organization, and I am asking you to help assure our future as we defend yours.
How to donate
Like many news organizations across the country, both for-profit and nonprofit, we at The Berkshire Eagle are seeking ways to expand our comprehensive and in-depth reporting. Together with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, we have created The Berkshire Eagle Local Journalism Fund. It is a dedicated charitable fund whose purpose is to support The Eagle’s reporting of local matters relating to health, education, economic development, and arts and culture. Your tax-deductible gift will expand our coverage of these critical areas. To donate, please visit berkshireeagle.com/donate.